Abstract: The present invention is a process for the chromatographic separation of a liquid mixture comprising a first sugar component and at least one secondary component chosen from second sugars, organic acids and salts thereof, alcohols, amino acids, and inorganic salts. In the process, the liquid mixture is contacted with a stratum of a porous gel cation-exchange resin and thereafter eluted such that the first sugar component passes through the stratum at a different rate relative to the secondary components of the liquid mixture. The separation results in a first recoverable product stream rich in the first sugar component and at least one secondary product stream rich in the secondary components. The porous gel cation-exchange resin is prepared by polymerization of at least one monovinylidene monomer with a cross-linking monomer in the presence of an inert diluent.

Abstract: A process is provided for preparing ion-exchange resin particles of relatively uniform size by partial functionalization of non-uniform copolymer beads with ion-exchange groups. The non-uniform copolymer beads are preferably functionalized in a manner such that the ion-exchange groups are substituted at available sites which are most accessible to diffusion by functionalizing agents. Due to the size difference between individual copolymer particles, a greater proportion of available sites is functionalized in a small particle when compared to that of a large particle. Due to the greater proportion of ion-exchange groups present in a small particle, the small particle swells relatively more than a larger particle. The result is effectively a narrowing of the size distribution for the partially functionalized resin particles.